


Ha Sooyoung's Double Life

by loonalexis



Category: LOONA (Korea Band)
Genre: Alternate Universe - High School, Angst, Coming of Age, F/F, Love Triangles, Mutual Pining, No Underage Sex, Please Don't Hate Me, Slow Burn, Teacher-Student Relationship
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-05-29
Updated: 2020-06-04
Packaged: 2021-03-02 19:07:35
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 5
Words: 20,236
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24421774
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/loonalexis/pseuds/loonalexis
Summary: Sooyoung's every day life hardly gets entertaining. Past 25 years old, she's done what plenty of women coming from religious and wealthy families have. She found herself (her mother did) a fiance and a rewarding enough job. Despite not getting to love who she loves, she gets to teach what she loves, art. Teaching is what keeps her going and no one can take her canvas away from her.  Could someone break off her unbending ethics ? Could it be time for her to let her heart talk and do something for herself for once ?
Relationships: Ha Sooyoung | Yves/Jo Haseul, Ha Sooyoung | Yves/Kim Jiwoo | Chuu, Kim Jiwoo | Chuu/Kim Jungeun | Kim Lip
Comments: 4
Kudos: 14





	1. A singing teacher who can't sing ? The greatest Irony

**Author's Note:**

> This is my first fic here ! I hope you're ready for a long ride and a roller-coaster of feelings because you're not signing up for a short build up. Really aiming for that character's development. Important note : All the girls in high school are 18 and in their last year except for Jiwoo, she's 19 and retaking her senior year.

"I'm so happy to finally show you my number one classroom !" Heejin leads Jiwoo up the flight of stairs with a cheer, arms intertwined. "The light is so pretty up there you'll love it !" They reach the 4th floor in no time and walk into the quiet hallway. It's not like Jiwoo needs a thorough tour of the building but she's thankful she doesn't get stepped on.

Halfway into the hallway, Heejin picks up the pace, unable to contain her excitement, "That's the last one there."

Seems like her plan of sneaking into the classroom goes up in smoke when something crashes into the glass door from the inside. Had they been any faster, they could have sneaked in before this person. Before Jiwoo can see who it is or if they are alone, Heejin suggests they go down to the 3rd floor to see the auditorium where she has her singing lectures. Jiwoo isn't against the idea, she's quite sure she doesn't want to see something she's not supposed to.

...

Heejin leads Jiwoo out of the auditorium, "You'll see, Mrs Jo is really the best." Jiwoo can't wait to meet her, the younger is always gushing about her singing teacher whenever she can, it's a shame she wasn't in the auditorium where Heejin would have expected to find her.

"She would hate to hear me address her as Mrs Jo." Heejin jokes as they watch a disheveled Mrs Jo dart into the corridor from where they came in earlier and lean by the archway, struggling to catch her breath.

Heejin steps ahead, having recognized her favorite teacher, "Is everything okay Mrs Jo ?" This girl is too curious for her own good.

The latter straightens herself up as if struck by lightning, "Heejin !" She chokes out and tries to comb her hair, looking very much self-conscious, "Please stop calling me like this I feel so old."

Jiwoo observes as the woman's cheeks slowly but surely turn red, "Please call me Haseul, I insist."

Heejin doesn't feel entitled to be calling her that, she frowns, deep in thought, "Um, what about miss Haseul?" She suggests, unaware. 

The poor woman cannot control her reaction, eyes growing twice their size as air goes into the wrong pipe, "W-WHAT ??"

She feels a sense of coldness taking over her entire body, ignoring her skin turned livid as well, making the two girls worry, "Are you okay ??"

Haseul doesn't dare to breathe in again just yet, "Yes i'm okay." Her smile doesn't reach very high, "just-surprised." The girls don't miss how her voice wavers.

If Jiwoo thought this teacher looked red before, it was nothing compared to what she's seeing now. Their eyes meet as Haseul pushes herself off the wall the way a kitten would take its first steps, " You must be Jiwoo ?" 

Her eyes disappear under her bangs for a split second as she bows, "Yes, it's nice to meet you-" Her voice dies and Haseul doesn't need to be asked twice, she fills in the blank straight away, "Haseul !"

"Please call me Haseul." She chuckles in a desperate attempt to calm her nerves, she feels gross the more Heejin's prying eyes are on her. She flattens her palm onto her chest, not making it look like she's trying to smooth out the obvious wrinkles on her shirt (according to her), "I hope you will feel comfortable in my classroom."

Jiwoo's genuine smile goes completely unnoticed. 

Her pin. Where is it ?

She pats her shirt some more but feels nothing. If a student finds it in the other classroom, how will she explain herself ? This much drives her into panic mode, she bolts back towards the stairwell with 'I've gotta go' as the only explanation.

The two girls' mouths drop open in astonishment when the hammering of their teacher's steps sound out all the way to their ears. Jiwoo breaks the unsettling silence, "...what just happened ?"

Heejin having Haseul as her teacher for two years doesn't make her any more knowledgeable than Jiwoo, "...I have no idea."

Jiwoo notices the way Heejin chews on her lower lip and nudges her to brighten up the mood, "I'm sure she's a great teacher ! Everyone has quirks !"

Heejin would never want to give false hopes to a friend thus the tension in her heart eases significantly after hearing this, "Right." She gives Jiwoo her full attention, her impish beam lets her friend know she has something in mind, "On a brighter note, how about we go find Hyejoo ?"

Hyejoo hates to get disturbed during Monday lunches. It almost seems more like a rule than a fact. Hence, since the day Hyejoo let that slip, Heejin is dedicating her whole being at doing just that. Every Monday, she checks every secluded corner where Hyejoo could crash. She doesn't find her each and every time given the indisputable skills she is gifted with. Which makes them think, with such an effective technique to blend in her surroundings, has Hyejoo ever seen something she wasn't supposed to ? Could she know something no one else does ?

...

Haseul's breath comes out in short gasps as she climbs two stairs at a time (her stamina is up there laughing at how helpless she looks). If she doesn't think she looks ridiculous enough running into the hallway like this, she has to stumble upon someone. Her breath catches in her throat then escapes like a deflating balloon when she sees the colorful pin between Sooyoung's fingers. 

She consoles her dignity by thinking Sooyoung has seen her into much more humiliating positions before. She also doesn't think about how those very fingers were around her throat minutes before... Not at all.

" _Aww_...are you looking for this ?" A taunting smile kisses her lips. _Plump_. Haseul can't stop herself from thinking. _Focus Haseul_ , it's an internal conflict she's having.

Once the balloon deflated, relief draws the words out of her mouth as she stretches her arm to grab her gem, "You found it thank god." 

Her fingers meet air, her eyes meet mischievous ones, "Why do you sound so breathless ?"

Haseul doesn't have time for this," _Sooyoung..._ "

The latter catches her bottom lip between her teeth obscenely, " _Damn keep saying my name like this_.", she whispers as a joke.

Haseul doesn't have patience for cheeky Sooyoung today, she reaches for it again, this time faster, "Come on Sooyoung."

The girl doesn't fight against her hold, she's not against some teasing every now and then, "See you later Miss Haseul."

The chills that run up Haseul's spine don't go unnoticed and the glare she gives Sooyoung is enough to shut her down, she walks back into the stairwell without a word but the conversation isn't finished for Sooyoung. It's far from finished, "You sound a little hoarse, you should drink some water, a singing teacher who can't sing, the greatest irony." 


	2. Unexpected

This time, Jiwoo is the one holding and pulling Heejin by the arm, clueless she could dislocate the other girl's shoulder at any point, "COME ON WE'RE GONNA BE LATE !"

The two girls weave through the sea of students with great struggle, "IT'S ALMOST 10 ALREADY !" Jiwoo can't care less if her bangs sit all messed up on her glistening forehead. She doesn't want to come in late and give a bad impression of herself on her first lecture.

To just their luck, the classroom's door is left ajar and the bell rings right as Jiwoo gets to take the place in. Heejin was right, it's like a dream come true for Jiwoo and she absolutely _loves_ it.

The wooden windows putting the opposite wall together provide the room a warm and welcoming glow, the slanting rays cutting through the glass giving emphasis on particular works plastered over every wall. Jiwoo had never seen such a sweet and colorful classroom. Heejin didn't lie about this teacher, she truly loves her job. The remote and pleasant feeling this room gives her would almost make her believe she isn't in school anymore. 

Fortunately, Sooyoung is here as a reminder, leaning against her desk, pastel pink nails looking neat along the hardwood. She looks up from her book and stands up at the sound of the door closing. Except she didn't expect a visitor. Her eyebrow arches at the sight of the unfamiliar face, "Heejin ? Who is your friend ?" She sets down her book onto her desk, face down, and faces the girls again. 

Jiwoo really stares and this time, Sooyoung catches her. Heejin could have warned her, she could have warned her that their teacher Ha Sooyoung looks like _that_.

She tries to ease her nervousness by looking around the classroom, maybe she could choose where her easel will be ? She hopes Heejin won't let that awkward blank sit for long, she literally cannot do it herself. She doubts she can talk in any other way than incoherent stammers. Meeting a new teacher is already stressful enough, but meeting a new intimidating teacher ? It's even worse.

Heejin moves aside so her teacher can see her friend better and puts down her bag at the foot of her easel, "It's Kim Jiwoo ! She's in your class now right ?"

 _What. A new student_ ? In two seconds, Sooyoung tries to remember a week's worth of actions. Someone would have warned her right ?

Hair already tied up in a ponytail and halfway into putting on her apron, Heejin loses some of her enthusiasm, "...um, _did you not know ?_ "

Sooyoung has two more seconds to think : This Jiwoo girl looks uncomfortable, does she want to make it worse by making it seems like she's a burden ? No.

" _Ah_ of course I knew !" She blurts out eagerly. _Why isn't there a canvas for me then ?_ Jiwoo wonders.

"I was just-in my head I guess, _HAHA_ " Her short laugh isn't much different from the ones popular sitcoms use left and right and to Jiwoo's ears, it makes her disconcerting.

Sooyoung knows they can't stand here forever, she manages to give a convincing enough smile and for the first time, she speaks to Jiwoo without Heejin being a mediator,"I'll go and get everything you need."

Jiwoo has stepped away from the closet's door long before Sooyoung needs to access it which makes her more uneasy than anything else. She ignores the lingering bitterness in her stomach and prays she will find everything in there. _Just why couldn't they warn her ?_

Maybe she should consider playing the lottery in the near future because not only she spots a spare easel in one corner of the closet but there also is a brand new canvas, still in its wrapper, leaning against the right wall. She doesn't like the thought of using her last canvas but she did planned to go get some more furniture during the week end and that thought comforts her. She has to give something to Jiwoo to paint on anyway.

When she comes back into the classroom, everyone except Jiwoo has started working on their canvas, the scent of paint will always warm her heart. It's the sound of colorful strokes onto creamy whites and wooden legs scraping the parquet floor as she sets down the easel by the standing girl.

"Come I'll give you a palette and everything."

Jiwoo follows the tall woman in one corner of the room where a steel sink and a table loaded with squeeze bottles of every color sit. She marvels at all the possibilities that are opening up before her as she goes to stand by the sink where there's a little room for her to squeeze in. Out of the corner of her eye, she watches as Sooyoung squeezes a spurt of each color out and onto a palette that was left to dry in the dish rack. "For today, try to follow the others, It'll allow me to see how you get by." One of the glass pots clinks as she looks through different paintbrushes, some more used than others, with tinted bristles and flaking sticks. This classroom has a soul and Jiwoo loves it, she doesn't know if she ever will feel comfortable around Ha Sooyoung though, this woman's personality is undeniably unsettling.

"If you need anything else, I'll be at my desk." Jiwoo reacts promptly when she is faced with a red and neat paintbrush and hastens to get to work when the path is cleared and she can breathe again without her teacher's perfume having to flood her nostrils, she's had enough of being the center of attention and disturbing the class, Sooyoung looks bothered enough.

After a few minutes of intense creative energy, Jiwoo feels a sting shoot through her lower back. She realizes she should be sitting right now, like the others. She is not in her right mind today. 

.

.

That means she will have to go up to Ha Sooyoung's desk...

The more she get closer to the desk, the more she wants to backtrack. This time, she's sitting behind her desk, one leg on top of the other, wrist against the edge of her desk, white book perched between a milky hand, ' _Paulo Coelho- Adultery'_ The cover reads.

 _Of course she knows English_ , Jiwoo scolds herself for even thinking this woman could be anything but bilingual. Right when she's made up her mind, she knows better than to disturb someone in the middle of a reading session, her teacher notices her presence and they make eye contact. Her vocal chords narrow, her tongue bolts right back in the back of her mouth. She's beating herself up for walking all the way up there already. _Which was a terrible idea !_ Her little voice rails against her in a corner of her mind as if she thinks any different.

The raven-haired woman waiting for something, for Jiwoo to speak specifically, takes the matter into her own hands, "Is there something you need ?"

If she could change her tone, she would, because she sees Jiwoo crumpling a little more under her gaze.

. .

"..um" 

_Way to go Jiwoo_ , her little voice knows exactly when to show up.

Not breaking eye contact, she blurts everything out in one blast, _" Doyouhavesomethingformetositon ?_ "

The older woman's eyes widen a little at this, _did you seriously forget Sooyoung ?_ All naturally she has a little voice of her own. It's been very talkative today, her way to deal with negative feelings.

And seems like she's gonna make a fool of herself and her little white lie is going to be unveiled because she cannot find any spare tool in the classroom. She could give her her own and play it like she needs to go and get something...No, it sounds like what a moron would do.

 _Aren't you one already Sooyoung ?_ Frankly _, s_ he's not even sure which of her voices said that. She's on the verge of popping a vessel and Jiwoo sees right through her, but not exactly, she thinks she's the cause of her teacher's distress. 

" _Maybe this one stool ?_ " Although quiet and hesitant, Jiwoo finds back her voice, referring to a stool used as a makeshift bookshelf sitting next to the tense woman.

 _How embarrassing._ Sooyoung cries out in her head. Something about the way she picks up the pile of comics and thrusts it into the first empty drawer tells Jiwoo she wasn't supposed to see that.

Jiwoo has to refrain a frown, _everyone can like comics..._

Not seeing any physical response coming from Jiwoo, Sooyoung urges her on, "Come and get it." _Heeh_...Too expeditious. She's not going to do anything right today huh ?

Her words seem to directly kick Jiwoo in the ass because she springs into action, fetching the stool and getting back to her easel without a word.

From that point onward, time flies and class passes by in a blur. Neither Jiwoo nor Sooyoung dare to glance at the other, both for different reasons and Sooyoung cannot wait for the bell to ring so she can go and spit her venom at the principal for making such an unprofessional move.

What if this girl regrets her decision of signing up for her class because of today ? What if she's already considering art is not for her ? One bad experience with a teacher can be enough to make someone's career plans go off the rails, Sooyoung is aware of this.

For now, her priority is to have answers so she can collect herself and hopefully start back up with Jiwoo in better terms because she knows for a fact she hasn't been up to her expectations. She would put money on the fact that Heejin sang the praises of her work and what not prior to this lecture and for now the only thing she's showed her is how unfit she is for unexpected situations.

Jiwoo is confident she's getting the hang of it, without boasting, as always, and Heejin is here to compliment her work as soon as she watches her paint when she herself needs a break from her work. Despite having her class perturbed, Jiwoo being up to standard is a forte which is one thing she won't have to worry about. Ha Sooyoung's class hitting a slump to be at her level is unthinkable.

.

As though monitored by their biological clocks, students go lining up near the sink to clean their paintbrushes and palettes seconds before the bell rings. In the midst of reviewing her painting on a blue background, Jiwoo barely catches her teacher opening the door in her peripheral vision and leaving the classroom without acknowledging her in the slightest. Is she gonna check her painting out at least...?

Heejin gets her attention away from the door, " _So ?_ How was your first class ?"

Jiwoo watches her friend untie her hair then tuck a thick black lock behind her ear, at loss of words. Hefting her backpack over one shoulder, Heejin looks at her expectantly.

"I'm quite sure she doesn't like me." Is what comes out of her mouth.

***

Sooyoung's fist crashes against the frosted glass of the principal's door one more time, in a bold move, she goes for the handle and as one would expect, _it's locked_. She curses and shows a clean pair of heels, not without muttering ' _Never here when we need him._ ' under her breath.

What she _doesn't_ know, is that Jiwoo and Heejin, on their way to the cafeteria, watched it all from afar. Jiwoo is the one saying out loud what they're both thinking about, "She's not gonna remove me from her class, is she..."

Her tense energy going as far as affecting Heejin, she rubs her palm over the redhead's shoulder, saying, "There has to be an explanation."

_And she hopes she's right._

***

Tuning out of the cafeteria kind of ruckus, one voice still manages to reach Sooyoung's ears as she dives her spoon into her beef soup, for the hundred times. She's sat at the far end of the table, looking both murderous and miserable, why would someone want to talk to her ?

"Is everything okay Sooyoung ?" Lee Ji Eun, dance teacher, asks from all across the table. _Why are we eating with her again ?_ Her little voice nags. 

If there's one thing Sooyoung cannot bring herself to understand, it's that habit of people to ask other people if everything's fine when they're clearly not. If you really want to talk to someone, you could ask what's going on instead, gain _time_. It's certainly not an offer for her to be nosy, far from it. Sooyoung doesn't know this woman enough, she wouldn't consider her as a friend, that's saying something.

Around the table, she would consider Haseul as a friend (ignoring the other business going on between them), Moonbyul, teaching computer and programming stuff, it's going there, Sooyoung has a feeling they could get along well if you ask her.

She doesn't know what Kim Yongsun and her are, _strangers ? Mortal enemies ?_ She hardly acknowledges her let alone talk to her and when she does, it's always sharp, passive aggressive. Ever since she has tried to be friends with Moonbuyl now that she thinks about it, could there be something between them ? Sooyoung likes that tea.

Sooyoung isn't very fond of Ji Eun, doesn't mean she's gotta act like a bitch, "All's good." She can't force herself to smile however.

Maybe she should have, "Why do you look like that then ?" 

Sooyoung has to stop herself from glaring at her. _Did I ever ask you what tampon you're using ?_

Right as anger builds, something rubs her calf under the table. It happens in the blink of an eye thus she's wondering if it's not in her head and she lost her mind for good.

When her eyes meet Haseul's across the table, she knows she didn't imagine it, it's risky, but Haseul knows better than to let her fume inside like a kettle when there's something on her mind. Sharing a look that says a lot, Sooyoung figures it can't hurt to open up, although it was still a shitty way to ask.

"Um" The raven-haired girl doesn't know where to start, it's a lot of information to take in, after a moment, she takes the plunge, "Principal Dongsik signed a new girl up to my class without informing me."

Her eyes don't stray away from her bowl, "I let you imagine how that went, poor girl must think she's done something wrong."

"Wait." A bulb lights on in Haseul's mind, "Is this new girl named Kim jiwoo ?"

Sooyoung looks up at her with confusion plastered all across her features, "Yes ?"

Haseul vividly remembers receiving an email a few days ago about this student, did it not go through with Sooyoung ? "I know I received an email about Kim Jiwoo, maybe you didn't see it ?" Haseul knows she's laying on thin ice when Sooyoung has to be handled with kid gloves.

_An email ? No..._

"I didn't receive anything." There isn't a hint of doubt in her tone, how are they gonna make Sooyoung swallow the bitter pill ?

"I received an email too !" Ji Eun butts in as if someone had asked her. And Sooyoung cannot hold herself this time, she stares at her, expressionless, as if saying, _'who asked you'_

"It probably didn't get through for you, computers aren't always 100 % accurate." Moonbyul settles the argument like a prince, downing her water in one go and getting up, her food tray in one hand, her phone in the other.

She only gives Yongsun the time of day, "You needed me to have a look on your computer right ?"

Is Sooyoung the only one noticing how different her tone is....it was _totally_ lower, and _fix_ her computer ?? It _has_ to be a code. Sooyoung wants to look at Haseul to see if she's seeing the same thing as her but she is beaten to it when Haseul is already staring at her, they share a knowing look while Yongsun springs out of her chair.

_Yep, they are fucking._

***

Hyejoo has to bring up the topic when Jiwoo is chewing on her steak, _really_.

"So how did it go with Ha Sooyoung ?" That's what she asks, clueless to the fact she's going to nearly kill the girl. 

As expected and because of the reminder of her calamitous morning, Jiwoo doesn't quite swallow the piece in one go and it gets stuck in her throat. She breaks into a coughing fit, bending over the table to recover in a non vomit-inducing way hence she misses the way Heejin kicks Hyejoo under the table.

Did she not read her briefing minutes ago ? She sent her a text specifically _forbidding_ Hyejoo to bring back what happened in the art class. It doesn't even surprise her.

Now that the topic has been brought, it's not like Jiwoo can keep lying to herself much longer.

Once she's back to normally breathing, she takes a few sips of her water, all the while staring at Hyejoo with an unreadable expression. Does Hyejoo know she can't mention the previous event but did it anyway and now she feels endangered ? A feeling that could make her regret even asking in the first place ? Albeit on rare occasions, Jiwoo can be chilling.

Eventually, her thirst is quenched and words can spill out, "She hates me." She says barely above a whisper, free hands coming to rest on both edges of her tray, it's by nothing short of a miracle that Hyejoo can hear her. Jiwoo being detached to such a statement, craving for teachers' approval as a general rule, picks both girl's interest. After a few beats, she adds, as if both statements have any correlation whatsoever, "And she's _so_ attractive." She's looking at nothing in particular, most likely replaying the few frigid interactions they had earlier in her mind.

"I mean it's not like it's anything new." Even as Heejin addresses the obvious in a matter-of-factly tone, she doesn't move a muscle.

Her rosy lips part, she blinks, "You have a point."

"Still you could have told me she looked _this_ pretty and _this_ frightening." She grumbles while shifting in her seat to snatch Hyejoo's apple from across the table.

The latter swats her hand away but a beat too late, " _Hey_ ! I was going to eat that !"

"Too late." She teases in a sing-song voice and takes a big chunk out of the glowy red apple in the most unbothered way. Heejin stares between the two, amused, she's made sure to hide her own apple into her backpack, she knows Jiwoo all too well.

Hyejoo won't let it bother her though, she's way too curious about what happened to make Jiwoo think Ha Sooyoung could ever be mean, she gets a pen from her bag and starts to doodle onto her wrist, " Are you guys going to tell me what went on with Mrs Ha or what ?" 

Heejin, halfway into making a paper bird with her napkin and her eyes never leaving her masterpiece, mumbles, " _Didn't see anything_."

_One, two seconds._

"Nothing really happened." Jiwoo simply says, "It just looked like my presence was bothering her." She adds on in a defeated voice.

Hyejoo looks up from her wrist, sharp lead deep into her skin to try and recreate the feeling of being tattooed, "Maybe she was just being- _Idon'tknow_ \- a teacher ?" She suggests, wearing her signature sneer.

Jiwoo scratches the tip of her nose with her index finger while thinking some more, " It might be because of how stunning she looks..." She isn't looking at her but Hyejoo stops mid-word and stares at the girl like she's trying to analyze her. Then she finishes voicing her thoughts, "Attractive people often look intimidating when they're not smiling."

Heejin cradles the bird into her palms, "I don't think she's that _wow_."

It may sound far-fetched, but Hyejoo isn't against some warning, plus, since when does she hold her tongue ? "Be careful Jiwoo, there was a rumor once saying one of her students had been expelled because they tried hitting on her, words got around that _she_ reported them."

Jiwoo stares at her friend, surprised that Hyejoo would even think of her this way, her booming laugh causes a few heads to turn their way, " What are you saying here ?"

Hyejoo pinches her lips together and goes back to adorning her skin, "I'm just saying." She knows it can never hurt to look out for a friend.

Heejin joins Jiwoo into watching Hyejoo dig the lead into her skin over and over, her brain can surpass theirs in the most fascinating way sometimes, the thought tears a chuckle away from her, "You crazy girl."

_The thought isn't that crazy._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> From : hmsdongsik@gmail.com  
> To: hasooyoung@gmail.com
> 
> Notice : In anticipation of student Kim Jiwoo's arrival in your class, please make sure to brief her about your curriculum and such.
> 
> Kim Dongsik


	3. Many Secrets

If Sooyoung could, she would avoid facing Kim Jiwoo ever again, _damn_ she would even avoid calling herself a teacher. The day before, anger made way to shame, when she found Dongsik's email in her junk folder, and later, made way to guilt, when she saw the student for the second time.

Saying _'oh ? You're here again ?'_ at the sight of the girl walking into the art room was clumsy and uncalled for. That's why she regretted her words as soon as they came out of her mouth, it's not like she could take them back ? The most she did was assuring that she was welcome into her class. Sentence to which Jiwoo had a hard time believing as she was unable to catch her teacher with her signature smile (as Heejin calls it ) throughout the excruciating hour. She did praise her a bit after catching a glimpse of her painting but Jiwoo couldn't tell if it was genuine or if it only was to make her feel better about the previous remark.

Nearing the end of the class, Sooyoung puzzled Jiwoo (and herself) by coming up to her easel and demonstrating a particular technique that she didn't quite master. As disconcerting as she looks, Jiwoo couldn't refute her skills as a teacher. If she could have jumped off her stool right there and then when Sooyoung took her paintbrush out of her hand and started correcting her strokes, she would have. Something about having the other woman this close made her feel unnerved.

If Jiwoo comes a third time, which Sooyoung expects but wouldn't bet money on given the way she bolted out of the room two days before, she's resolute in apologizing and fixing their discomfort. This much will allow her to be a teacher worthy of the name.

She isn't sure if she's relieved when the familiar redhead shows up with Heejin hot on her tail. Now she has her answer, she has to swallow her pride for her students' sake.

She reluctantly closes her book, not without making sure to have the page number stored in her head, and puts it down next to her attendance book.

"Mrs Kim will you come outside the room for a moment ?" She calls out as she rises from her chair and already heads for the door. Jiwoo freezes in her spot, bag still in hand, when the scene of her teacher trying to see their principal after her first class replays in her mind. Her ears start to ring and Heejin has to pull on her sleeve to snap her out of it, " _Go !_ " She whisper-shouts with alarmed eyes.

 _Is it the moment her teacher asks her to leave ?_ She fears the worst as she follows behind Sooyoung, far behind.

Under her sun-kissed BB cream, Jiwoo looks worryingly pale as she steps out of the classroom and stands in front of Sooyoung as stiff as a pole.

" _Close the door please._ " Out of everything she could have said, she chooses the most anxiety-inducing sentence. As if it was possible, Jiwoo feels a hundred times more distressed.

Still, she obliges, then forces herself to face her and look at her (more or less). Sooyoung shifts from one foot to another, feeling more and more guilty she caused such tension to the girl, "um"

She goes for it, no beating around the bush, "I wanted to apologize."

Jiwoo was ready to fight for her cause, she can't afford failing this class, but her mouth drops open and she meets Sooyoung's guilty face. 

"I didn't put any effort to include you into my class and that's unacceptable." _Is Jiwoo dreaming ?_

As always, Jiwoo doesn't want to bother anyone, her eyes almost pop out of their socket, " _NO IT'S OKAY !_ "

"It's not." She cuts her, being both nice and rude at the same time being one of her characteristics according to Jiwoo. She doesn't argue further, yes maybe she owed her an apology after all.

"I want to start anew, if you'd like." Jiwoo hardly registers her words, she wonders if she'll ever know why her teacher acted like that in the first place.

So she tries, hoping she doesn't sound too prying, "Bad day ?"

 _That would have been two bad days_ , Sooyoung's little voice butts in. It's already difficult enough for her, this leech has to rub salt in the wound.

"Um." Sooyoung takes a look around, _we're alone here,_ her little voice notifies as if Sooyoung doesn't have eyes for herself. A stomach heaving ( Jiwoo regrets asking) and one beat later, her eyes shift back towards Jiwoo's and the latter swears she feels her blood run cold.

"Can you keep a secret ?" Is what Ha Sooyoung says.

***

"Did you have a word with her ?" Jiwoo asks Heejin as they walk down the stairs to get to their singing class, for the first time since they got out of class, Heejin looks away from her phone and glances at the other, "...hm?"

" _Mrs Ha_ , she apologized to me." Jiwoo knows only short sentences will pick up Heejin's interests when there's something this engaging on her phone, she doesn't know how she never fell flat on her face by not looking where she's going.

She snorts and then her friend is gone again, "Why are you calling her that ?" She's used to converse with jet black hair a lot these days.

Jiwoo doesn't see where the problem is, clearly, "It's her name ?" Heejin smiles at something that's on her phone, thumbs clicking against the tempered glass.

" _So ? Have you ?_ " Jiwoo urges her on which makes the other look up from her phone with her eyes as blank as if she has woken up from a hundred years' sleep, " _What_ -um no."

"That's odd..." Jiwoo talks under her breath.

As the auditorium's door appears in sight, Heejin sends one last text to her friend, _'Is she there yet? Should I go later?'_

Yerim sees her text, the white dots appear, then they stop, and show up again. It's beyond understanding something manages to make her look away from her conversation.

Or someone specifically, " YOU WON'T BE THE NEXT CELINE DION WITH VOCAL CHORDS AS TIGHT AS MY BUTTHOLE !!!" Mrs Jo Haseul hurls in a state of utmost shamelessness, her taut and tiny body standing in the middle of the platform contrasting with the monstrous roar she let out.

Someone from the second row gags, evidently overdoing it, " _Yep_. we _didn't_ need to know that."

"Who's Celine DioUN ?" Sounds out from the far left end of the first row which causes the hilarious teacher to facepalm and grouse some more, "Ever heard of Titanic ?" Her stare falls onto one particular student who looks the most clueless, "James Cameron ?" She delivers her last hit. She gasps dramatically at the lack of response, pointing her finger at the now blushing boy, "Weren't you boasting about your cinema lectures literally like-TWO DAYS AGO ??"

Jiwoo watches the scene through the door's porthole, giggling soundlessly not to burst their cover, this teacher is her heroine. 

Unable to stand upright with her stomach hurting from the big laugh, she supports herself onto the door not to lose her balance, then on the handle.

SHIT.

The door creaks as loud as a chalk stick against a blackboard when the thoughtless girl pushes it open and she grabs Heejin with her in her semi-fall to make it look like they're just walking in. Heejin hardly gets to read Yerim's text when a strong force pulls her towards the doorway and the warmth of the room flushes her face. 

She slips her phone into her jeans pocket without forgetting to curse Jiwoo in her head while Jiwoo pretends to get to the ground to tie her shoelaces (gravity was driving her towards it). She ain't slick. But she's lucky Heejin is Haseul's favorite student.

"HEEJIN !" She clasps in her hand as though Queen Elizabeth has made an appearance. "Now I'm gonna be able to get to WORK am I ??!" Half of the students are wondering if Haseul is on drugs or overly excited for no reason. Heejin is the best singer here, how can she be blamed ?

Haseul pulls out a megaphone from one drawer of her desk out of nowhere, "Heejin ! Start up your best song for me ! " The shrill sound of the machine that will cause their death makes everyone go silent, Heejin starts singing, hesitant despite her talent being glaringly obvious, "Neeeeear, faaaar, whe-" "REEEVER YOU AARE !!" Haseul screams at the top of her lungs into the megaphone making everyone get a heart attack and go deaf at the same time.

Heejin bursts out laughing with her palms still covering her ears, she knows her favorite teacher too well. Whereas Jiwoo still pretends to tie her shoelaces, she did stop for a second to stare at Haseul with marvel in her eyes. 

"You better remember about Titanic you uneducated folks." Haseul threatens in all seriousness as she puts back the Reaper in its drawer. _" Where are you parents seriously..._ " she grumbles, Heejin is convinced she won't get over it.

***

Heejin dabs a tissue onto her lips to tone down her red lipstick, she looks down at her lips in the mirror, she should have went for some chapstick instead. _I'm bad at this..._ She crumples the tissue into her palm unnecessarily hard compared to the feebleness of her opponent and dunks it into the bin attached to the wall on her left.

She faces the mirror and slinks one black lock behind her ear on one side, looking at her reflection, she smiles, she smiles the way she would want to smile at her if she was brave enough to do so.

The smile doesn't reach higher than her cheeks, her eyes remain sharp and intransigent as her reflection stares back at her, her smile falters. _Why are you even doing this ?_

She ruffles her hair in dejection, "It's not like it'll change much." It's not like she will try to do anything, or she will have the guts to. Yet she still can't stop herself from going there. Whenever she can, she faces the storm when it comes, no, _she's_ throwing herself into this, no matter how rattled it makes her.

When Jiwoo walks out of her stall, Heejin glances at her, " _damn_ I thought I'd have to call for help or something."

Jiwoo doesn't roll her eyes at this like Heejin would have expected her to, she's eyeing Heejin's red tinted lips. Not taking her eyes off her, her lips stretch into an intrigued grin as she goes to stand in front of the vacant sink, "You put _makeup_ on ?"

"What- _no_." She side-eyes her friend as she's busy washing her hands, Jiwoo gives her an incredulous look which she ignores partly by focusing on her hands as she washes them too," My lip burst open." Heejin says as sole explanation.

But it seems to leave the other girl convinced when she doesn't dare to look at the other girl, she scrunches her nose in mild disgust, "It's _blood_? **Gross**."

"I think we should steal Mrs Jo's megaphone." Jiwoo says in the midst of patting her hands dry with tissues. Heejin isn't passionate about the idea given the look on her face but it doesn't mean Jiwoo will give up without laying her arguments on the table.

"At this rate I think we will all go deaf before the end of the semester." She's hinting at the two additional times their teacher used her machine coming straight out from hell, the two girls don't know how she didn't gather the whole building at her door to knock her out. Heejin doesn't have to hear more to be part of the plan, for the sake of their physical and mental health, they _have_ to get that megaphone.

"Ever heard of overoptimism ?" Heejin thinks they won't last two weeks.

Jiwoo smirks, " _Does that mean you're in ? Because I think now is the best time."_

Before Heejin can protest, she does have a place she needs to be at right now, Jiwoo grabs her by the arm and pushes the restroom's door open like a bull (kicking the door down would have been as discreet). She has their teacher's door in her line of sight, she knows Haseul isn't in there because she heard her speak to someone over the phone and saying she was meeting them right after class. 

"Trust me on this." Does Heejin even have a choice ? Jiwoo walks out, then follows Heejin- _or not_. Jiwoo scrambles back into the restroom not caring that she headbutts Heejin in the face and that the poor girl could be bleeding from her nose based on how guttural she groans, holding her nose with her hands. What is Ha Sooyoung doing there ? Why is she on this floor ? God one second too late and she would have spotted the girls while walking down the stairs. They weren't doing anything wrong but- _still_. _Ugh why is this woman everywhere ??_ Jiwoo is going to faint from all the agitation in her body.

Jiwoo closes the door as quietly as she can, not assisting her friend in the slightest, she ends up regretting not letting a gap for her to see through because now she can't tell if Sooyoung has left.

"DID YOU FUCKING BREAK MY NOSE ??!" Heejin cries out as she tries to pat the bridge of her nose to feel if anything is broken. Jiwoo is too preoccupied their cover could be blown to listen to Heejin, " _Shhhhh !!!!_ "

Heejin feels tears prickling at the corner of her eyes with how much her nose stings, " _Ughh_ is there someone out there or something ?"

" _Yes ! Mrs Jo_ !" She hushes the other girl then whispers a quick _'I'm sorry for your nose'_

Without another word, Jiwoo leans onto the door and peeps outside, there is no sign of any human being in the corridor and no noise reaches her ears. _She probably left._ Jiwoo doesn't want to stay around here for long though, _what if she comes back ?_ Jiwoo makes her own heart stutter in her chest.

She looks back at Heejin, starting to feel guilt weighing down her chest, _think about something Jiwoo. oh !_

She knows what will help Heejin, she hands her a tissue from her pocket, looking concerned, "Do you want to go and grab some ice-cream ? Eating cold could help."

" _No- ...I mean_." She pats under her nostrils gently, "My mom and I planned to go somewhere actually." She checks the tissue and to her great relief, there's no blood.

She smiles at her clumsy friend, "You can buy me this ice-cream another day, yeah ?"

Jiwoo nods then Heejin adds lightheartedly, " I think Hyejoo is strolling around the building playing Pokemon Go if you wanna ruin her game."

***

Hyejoo will never forgive Jiwoo if she fucks up her game, she's been looking for another Pokemon other than a fucking pidgey for the last hour, with no luck. It's probably because the app needs to be updated or her data sucks because there's no way there is only one Pokemon in the whole building. She checked every single place. Minus the rooftop because she can't deal with heights. Her level of frustration and obstinacy might make her break one of her rules however. Only 4 floors, it can't be that bad right ? And if she feels weird, she can still crouch down or crawl to move around, no one will be here to see anyway.

Once she's made it to the emergency door, she checks the game with a hammering heart, apparently there's one pidgeot... _seriously ?? But hey ! There's a mewtwo ! Looks like tables are turning !_

It's enough to get her to press against the horizontal push bar to unlock the door and she is met with a lot of wind throwing her hair into tangles and whipping her face ruthlessly. It's not all. Right before her widened eyes, her favorite teacher, Moonbyul, and another girl are making out, one pressed up against the guardrail. And when Hyejoo looks down from their faces on instinct, Kim Yongsun's Dior coat catches her attention. _Holy fuck._

Except the words come out of her mouth in spite of herself and she's not the only one to hear it. She hadn't come back inside when the two broke away but she prays she was when they turned their heads towards the noise.

She doesn't even care her phone slipped from her hand in the process and has landed five steps lower. She will have to change the glass though, tempered glass wasn't such an idiocy.

She can't believe what she witnessed past this door. _Good thing she knows how to keep a secret._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm surprised I can still keep up with the 'one chapter a day' dynamic although I would not expect it all the time HAHA  
> I feel like this chapter was a lot more about the characters' personalities and their struggles and such. The characters will have flaws and you might hate them for it sometimes and it's okay because I think human characters are the best.  
> I don't have much else to say other than thanks for reading !


	4. A house in the countryside

The bell above Heejin's head chimes when she steps into the cozy place, notifying everyone present in the bustling coffee place of her sudden arrival. She cringes, the penetrating disturbance turning her blood to ice and worsening her high-strung condition by a thousand. Luck seems to be on her side today as there is not a single soul behind the counter. She's aware this is rare occurrence hence she dashes between taken tables as fast as she spots Yerim in one corner of the room where several maroon and beige ottomans have been put together to create a more intimate section. Her only goal is not to be spotted by one particular person, she couldn't care less that half of the cafe is giving her weird looks. That is to say, at this rate, Heejin would be better off getting to Yerim by doing a series of forward rolls, at least people would laugh.

"See ?" Someone suddenly addresses their friend across the table right after Heejin passes by them, bent all the way forward, "If you don't get a locker you'll end up walking around like her ! _Do you want to break your back ??_ " Does this dude seriously think Heejin has a curved spine ? 

When her butt crashes on top of the ottoman across her friend, she still hasn't noticed the stares, or she could not give a damn. Her only concern is situated at the other end of the room, upper body concealed behind a stripped down and warmly-lit counter as if her crush needed to look more radiant than she is. 

"Heejin !" Yerim whoops upon being greeted by her favorite brunette (not counting her friend back at her high school), "I was wondering if you had found a job and gotten married while on your way here !" She chirps earnestly.

Heejin loves Yerim's personality, her eyes roll at the back of her head, " **HAHAHA.** _Haven't stumbled upon any Jungeun on my way there !"_

Yerim throws her head into her hand in desolation, " _Ugh_ , you _gays_ are so useless."

The brunette's snort resembles a truck engine, "You're gay too !"

Yerim pushes her head further into her hands, mumbling, "I said you _guys_."

Heejin is certainly not that dumb, but before she can call out her friend for it, a girl's voice makes her heart stop in her chest. She came enough times _solely_ to listen to her voice to recognize it out of hundreds. She grips the side of her seat and let her eyes wander towards the entrance of the cafe, she takes the newcomers in and then following the line, she sees her behind the counter, taking orders, scribbling down her notebook, her breath hitches. 

Yerim figures out something is up as Heejin not continuing a quarrel doesn't happen often, she sits up and sees her friend looking very entranced by something behind them, her cheeks dusted pink. Her natural response is to follow her stare, _spying around is Yerim's favorite thing to do !_ Except Heejin's massive crush on barista Jungeun is not a secret anymore, _doesn't mean she can't have her little fun !_ And if it's for Heejin's sake, what's stopping her...

She looks back at her friend, looking as innocent as ever, "You're getting our orders this time ?"

Heejin registers her words and looks back at her skeptically, "WHAT ??" _She's talking about directly talking to her crush ! it's dangerous territory !_

"Yeah I think you should go this time." Yerim assures with an encouraging smile as she leans back into her seat, letting out a pleased sigh, "Let me rephrase-" Her expression turns severe, " _I'm not going._ " She deadpans which elicits a groan and a betrayed stare from Heejin, "WHY ?"

Yerim doesn't know why Jungeun turns Heejin into such a mess, _she can't even say hi to her !_ Not really objective when we know Yerim could befriend a cactus.

She shrugs, not showing a hint of pity, _she knows it's for her own good_ _!_ "We came here _so_ many times and you never went to order." Before Heejin can speak for herself, Yerim sits up and rests her elbows on her knees, leaning closer, " _What if she thinks you're mute !?!_ " She whisper shouts.

They both share a look, Heejin looks doubtful and Yerim looks unyielding, she leans back again, getting snug in her cushioned seat, "I won't go."

Even Heejin's puppy eyes don't work, "And given how it's starting to fill up, I wouldn't be surprised someone's gonna come up to us to tell us to leave if we don't order..." She pauses, "And who's at the counter right now ? _Jungeun_."

At that, the brunette's eyes round up like coins, "So either way, you'll have to talk to her, I'd be you I'd choose one and get it over with." Yerim continues without missing a beat and Heejin hasn't seen her that unbending before.

Her heart is already racing at the thought of facing her crush, so if Jungeun comes up and asks them to leave, she would never be able to come here again, _ever_.

She 's close to doubling over in her seat as she smothers her face into her palms in anguish, " _I don't even know what to say to her..."_ her moan comes out muffled but Yerim will never miss a chance to tease her.

Her head tilts in amusement as Heejin raises her head for an answer, some tip, _anything_ , " ' _Hey_ ' is your best bet, Then- _um_ \- _let's think_ -our order maybe ??"

Heejin wipes her clammy palms onto her jeans while heaving out a sigh, "It's not that easy."

" **It is !** " Yerim cries aloud then grows aware of the few people that are now staring at the scene, when they lose interest, she adds with a calmer voice, "You don't have to say much to her- _just_ \- show yourself to her."

She pulls on her ottoman with evident clumsiness to get closer and Heejin gazes up at her when her hand is grabbed gently and her shaking ceases, "In your head you have two dogs and live in a house in the countryside, don't you want to do something to make it a reality ?"

She gives Heejin's hand a comforting squeeze, "I want to help you because you are such a great friend to me and you deserve to have everything you want." Hearing this, Heejin cannot feel any kind of resentment anymore, and at the end of the day, she's right, she will never know until she tries. She squeezes back harder to give herself some courage and almost jumps on her feet, " _I'll go, I'm gonna do this._ "

Yerim puts her fist in the air and cheers for her noiselessly which makes Heejin chuckles with her lighter heart, "You're like my number one supporter."

To which Yerim nods enthusiastically and it's enough for Heejin to get going, "Don't forget, she doesn't know you have a crush, you're advantaged." Yerim points the most important thing out as the girl walks past her seat.

Heejin hopes it will help steady her legs when she stands in front of Jungeun.

***

Now that the rush of adrenaline has started to fade, Hyejoo becomes aware that- _for real_ -her phone's screen is irremediably smashed. And it makes her _bitter_ (filtering every profanity she let out in the past 30 minutes).

She knows Heejin isn't the kind to make a comment about how she advised her to get tempered glass literally two weeks ago, but she can't say the same for her parents. Every time Hyejoo is allowed to throw a reunion at her house, they don't fail to hint any time they can how Heejin is so well mannered and well spoken and pretty and more _hurtful_ _things_.

And Hyejoo _hates_ it. And she hates how they were able to make Heejin feel _so_ guilty that they didn't speak for a whole week because she couldn't bring herself to face Hyejoo when she felt responsible for her struggles.

It isn't a problem anymore because Heejin gifted Hyejoo the greatest hiking backpack she had ever seen with cushioned interior as a start fresh present. Now they would hang out at either Heejin or Jiwoo's house and Hyejoo could bring her console and everything with her without fearing to break it.

Still, she regrets not listening to Heejin, she can use part of her savings and her parents won't even have to know about the incident but it's still a pain in the ass she's gonna have to use that money for that because of her stubbornness.

Sat under the 2nd floor's staircase, she shuts the world out with her earbuds (without music because she can't see shit on her screen.)

" **OH MY GOD YOU'RE ACTUALLY UNDER THERE !!!!** " Something screeches on her side and if someone is able to drag her back into the real world like that, it's in fact Kim Jiwoo.

The inhuman sound reaches all the way past her earbuds and sends her flying into the wall by sheer terror. She pushes herself back into a sitting position with one palm onto the floor while the other pops one earbud out of her ear as she looks up to the damned person that dared disturbing her peace.

Fucking Kim Jiwoo grins at her as if she hasn't almost killed her, " **I DIDN'T ACTUALLY THINK YOU'D BE HERE !!!** " Her foghorn like voice blasts out in the whole floor and most-likely the ones above and beneath.

 **"STOP FUCKING SCREAMING GODDAMN !!!"** Hyejoo bellows while shielding her ears, how will she produce game's soundtracks if she loses hearing ??

Jiwoo steps aside giddily when Hyejoo crawls out of her hiding spot, " _Whoops !_ Sorry I didn't realize..." She stares at the traumatized girl apologetically. Her chin threatens to hit the floor when she sees Hyejoo's phone, "What happened to your phone ??"

Hyejoo tears the jack plug off the outlet and throws her phone in her jacket pocket, " _um-"_ She has to think quick, " _Early carpal tunnel syndrome._ "

" _Don't smoke pot kids..._ " She adds in a voice that is definitely lower than her own before taking off with her hands into her pockets and her hair swaying behind her.

Jiwoo gasps and _runs_ after her-thus- crashes into her body from behind but thankfully Hyejoo keeps her balance as they climb down the stairs and towards the first floor, "THAT'S LIKE NOT GOOD HYEJOO !???!" She has tears glassing her eyes already, Hyejoo stops in her track when they touch first floor and looks at her dead in the eye, "yeah that's why i'm not doing music class."

Jiwoo's expression morphs into pure sorrow and Hyejoo could swear her lips start quivering as they curl onto themselves. _Wow_ she isn't planning on seeing her wail today, enough of that emotional shit.

She starts walking again, "I'm kidding."

She pauses to see if Jiwoo is calmed down, oh the girl is calmed down but now she's _mad_. She glares at Hyejoo as though she just stepped onto her cat's tail, " _Seriously ??_ "

"Yeah I wanted to try sliding down the banister but I aimed for the floor head first like a dumbass." Hyejoo disregards the other girl's anger and she doesn't even flinch when Jiwoo snaps ' _serves you right_ '.

They push past the building's entrance doors but the gusts of wind shake them to the core and the blaring sun roots them to the ground. "I got my sunglasses !" Jiwoo squeals and fumbles into her bag before putting them on like a diva while Hyejoo has her eyes on something else. Someone else.

"Oh look it's Ha Sooyoung." She says flatly. Coming from the east wing of the smaller although newer building, at floor level, the fashionable woman strides through the picnic tables and oak trees and towards the parking lot.

Jiwoo almost doubles over and trips down the rocky stairs in surprise, under her tinted glass, her eyes follow the graceful silhouette until she reaches her navy blue Hyundai.

Hyejoo looks back at Jiwoo, not interested enough in the art teacher to lurk like a creep, "What do you think I should do for my phone ?" Hyejoo's words don't come anywhere near Jiwoo, too enthralled by what Sooyoung is doing. Even out of class, she sports that enigmatic aura which throws Jiwoo out of balance but mesmerizes her at the same time.

She lurks as the raven-haired woman shrugs her coat off and throws it in the passenger seat with her bag, she pops the two highest buttons of her blouse open-

" _Jiwoo ?_ "

Hyejoo might be unable to see her eyes under the dark shade but she still can tell there is something drawing her attention towards the parking lot, she ain't slick. Ha Sooyoung is alone there.

***

Heejins knows her hands are quaking into her jeans pockets, she also knows she's gonna have to look away from the marble counter at some point and talk to Jungeun. Like _now_ would be good because the barista is done with whatever coffee she was preparing and she's facing Heejin, her notebook in one hand and a pen in the other.

"Hi, have you made your choice yet ?" She allows herself to look at the girl in front of her a little more than she would usually as she's yet to look up from the counter. _Have I seen her before ?_ Jungeun lets her eyes roam her face briefly, her face looks familiar but the barista is certain she never talked to this girl before, she would remember. 

Heejin doesn't meet her eyes, for, she's left speechless at the way she sounds from up close, her heart beats wildly in her ribcage and her face burns up like standing in front of a fan heater during cold winter days.

.

For a second, a fine line creases the skin between Jungeun's eyebrows, _did she not hear me ?_ So she tries again, a little louder, making sure not to attract any unwanted attention on them, " Excuse me, are you going to order ?"

The second ring acts like a slap in the face for Heejin and she has no choice but to look up, startled. She steps closer to the counter, even closer to Jungeun, _and for what ?_

She stares open-mouthed at the angelic face in front of her and says something, which was undreamed of, " _Um_ -Hi." 

Well it's something, _and Yerim would be proud !_

 _This girl is peculiar_ , Jungeun cracks a smile and if Heejin wasn't so focused on her glorious chestnut-colored hair, she could have seen her eyes twinkle. _She would have fainted from it probably._

" Hi, are you ready to order ?" She takes a short glance past the girl to make sure no one is getting impatient but to her surprise, she is the only one standing in line. Heejin is in complete awe in front of her and it's like everything but them vanished in the air, the turmoil in her chest making her well aware that, _yes_ , she's talking to her crush. She made it. It should make her feel relieved however now she's aiming for something else, leaving this counter without having made a fool of herself.

She's sure turning the words upside down in her mind a thousand times before speaking will make things worse so she gets in the spirit and goes for it, " It'll be one–" Her words trail off and her voice dies in her throat the way a car would sputter when it runs out of gas. She doesn't know what Yerim orders for them every time. Her heart starts pounding into her chest back again, so loudly it reaches her throat and makes her body sway along with each hit against her ribcage. She hastens to untuck her hair from behind her ear so it can conceal the erratic pulse under her skin.

Jungeun holds for the incoming order, eyes still strained on Heejin, nib pressed against paper to write down her order, but it never comes. _She doesn't know any of their coffees !_

One doesn't need to be a genius to see right through her, and looking at the girl in front of her, Jungeun is doing just that. Helping pretty girls choose for their orders is Jungeun's favorite thing about her job. _What ?_ She has to find the good in bad right ? It isn't every day she gets to take one order at a time and not run all over the place in her uniform that's way too tight-fitting for her liking. She doesn't know for sure if the girl's confusion is in reality attraction as she noticed her subtle staring before she decided to speak up, but it feels refreshing not to be asked for her number every two days by some dude offering her a spot in the so-called mannequin agency of his father.

All naturally, it makes her feel sympathy for the girl, she leans in over the counter, as if what she is about to say is top secret file and lowers her voice enough that Heejin has to strain her ears to hear it over the chatter nearby, " Our pearl coffees are the best thing in the world if you ask me."

Heejin doesn't know by what miracle she's able to process what she heard given the sudden proximity of the other, the way her flowery perfume tickles her nose and makes her want to steal the girl away from her work place in a bold act and bring her to explore every field and beach in Jeju.

Intrigued by how their closeness thins out Heejin's facade, Jungeun doesn't pull away just yet, even when she knows if anyone were to see them in that very position, they would think to themselves that it looks a little more than a girl ordering coffee. But since when Jungeun cares about what others think ?

"I always get one of those as my daily free drink." She adds with a curl of her lips.

 _She gets a drink every day by working here ??_ Is what pops in Heejin's mind, what Jungeun is able to see however is something close to no reaction, rounder eyes at most. 

During delightful tumult, when she lets her most foolish thoughts take over and reign over rationality, Jungeun would let herself believe she's the one reason this girl has lost her tongue, but she's not one to judge this hastily. Nonetheless, the possibility of her fantasy coming true brings the birth of a smirk to her lips, " Pearl coffee, is it ?"

Heejin snaps out of it, and this time Jungeun catches the change in her demeanor, how could her smile fade then ? 

"-yes !" She answers one beat too late and if the ground could split open and swallow her whole, she would gladly accept her fate.

One more smile sent her way and she would forget about Yerim, " _Um-_ two pearl coffees actually."

_Oh. Did she not come alone ? Would asking about it be crossing the line ?_

During the mere seconds it takes the barista to get two cups, she asks herself if, hypothetically, the roles were reversed, she would be offended to be asked about it. Heejin would certainly not get offended.

"You're here with your boyfriend ?" She questions while setting the cups down the counter, sounding nonchalant enough that she doesn't feel herself cringe. Not too hard at least.

For Heejin, two emotions comes out of Jungeun's question, the first being disappointment, because it seems Jungeun already labeled her as straight, and the second being relief because if Jungeun wonders if she has a boyfriend and brought him along, it must mean she isn't being painfully obvious. 

She will feel doubly relieved if she undoes that assumption and gets her point across while remaining smooth, in her twice too small pocket, she clutches her coins in her hand and only when it starts hurting her palm, does she look into Jungeun's eyes, "No boyfriend, I'm here with a friend-"

Jungeun won't admit why but she has to conceal a relief-sounding sigh by barely letting the other girl finish her sentence, "What names should I write on the cups then ?" She asks as she grabs the first cup and fetches a marker.

If Heejin wasn't feeling so lightheaded, she would notice how Jungeun's breath comes out sparse. The latter only appreciates now her clothing choice of the day even though she has been trying all afternoon to turn down the heating. She knows for a fact her skin is flushed under her old pink turtleneck.

"Yerim and Heejin." For some reason, Heejin cannot hold eye contact as she reveals her name, she stares down at the cups while Jungeun writes down onto them.

 _Yerim and Heejin, Yerim and Heejin..._ Jungeun can't help but think she's heard those two names together quite often these days, but she hasn't seen this girl before...

She can't shake the thought off her mind which loosens her tongue, "Is your friend usually the one to order ?"

Heejin's chest tightens at Jungeun's quick-witted remark, _how could she figure that out ? Had they been coming that often ?_

" _Yerim_ , yes." She breathes out as their eyes meet again. Jungeun scans the face in front of her as is Heejin was a portrait, still disguised in her pocket, Heejin's hand twitches when the other makes their gazes come together again, " _Heejin_ , it suits you." 

Her eyes trail down and stop onto the two empty cups, her rosy cheekbones sit high on her face as she smiles, almost to herself, "When your friend kept ordering for you two all those times, I was wondering if there'd ever be a different face ordering for the same two names."

A flower blooms into Heejin's stomach as she bites back a grin. _There_. That's the sentence she needed to hear. She could never thank Yerim enough. Now does she only realize her heart isn't beating as hard anymore and she's positive she could hop on one leg without risking to tip over.

The barista throws a few guarded looks around before looking back at Heejin, " _I was wondering if you were mute or something !_ " She confesses, mortified.

"My friend said that actually." Heejin reveals without thinking. The other girl shakes her head as if doing a double take, "-What ?"

Heejin shifts on her other foot, "Nothing-" She cranes her neck to glance back where Yerim is sitting before meeting Jungeun's confused face, "I should-let you get the coffees ready." Her voice breaks. She turns on her heels and leaves a frowning barista to get their coffees ready.

Why does she have a feeling Heejin won't be the one fetching them ?

***

Although expected, Jungeun feels her shoulders deflate when rather than Heejin, Yerim retrieves the two coffees, still, the younger girl's enthusiasm can't not cheer her up, she smiles and hands the coffees over, "Yerim, is it ?"

Yerim nods and smiles back when Jungeun slips an ' _Enjoy your coffee_ ' as she makes sure she holds them into a firm hold and won't spill anything on the floor. 

As Yerim gets farther and farther away, Jungeun leans over the counter and calls for her, "Wait !"

Yerim startles enough that Jungeun fears for her hands and regrets calling out for her, "Can you-" Jungeun beckons her over after she spins on her heels and Yerim has a feeling she's going to help her friend yet again.

She comes to a halt behind the counter and arches a brow, "Yes ?"

"Um-" Jungeun starts, and her nails threaten to leave dents into the softwood as she braces herself, "Why did she come here only now ?"

The other gives her a knowing look before breaking into a smile, "I think you know why."

And before Jungeun can ask her to develop or even fix her bewildered expression, Yerim has taken off, leaving the barista to blush, what comes up into her mind must certainly not be the reason Heejin only decided to talk to her now.

Although she can hope so.

***

Freshly out of the coffee shop, Yerim slinks her arm into Heejin's before she can choose which way she will go for herself, "Will you help me choose a gift for my friend ?" She asks in that tone that shows she won't take no as an answer.

Of course, Heejin could argue and say she doesn't want to risk missing the last bus to go home but she figures it will be her own way to thank Yerim for what she did today. So instead of walking back to Heejin's high school and part ways like they usually do when they hang out, Yerim brings her along and towards the overflowing shopping street. The girls rarely shop anywhere when they feel like going on a shopping spree as not only does it offer high-end products, but it offers a wide variety of cheaper stores with goods that make the perfect candidate for a friend's gift. Going there always feels like going on a adventure for Heejin, as soon as she looks up towards the bright neon signs that stand on each facade of each shops on either side of the street, she doesn't feel like a high schooler anymore, and although swarmed places like this could feel nerve-wracking for some people (Yerim), for Heejin, it's like being on vacation as soon as she steps into the flow of like-minded people, it's like playing dodgem without paying for a single buck.

Before setting her heart into one store in particular, Heejin needs to know to what kind of person Yerim is going to give a gift to, she slows down the pace and stands them aside, not letting go of Yerim's arm, "Your friend..." She starts, "What are their like ?"

At the mention of this friend, it's like Yerim has forgotten anyone around them, people keep whizzing past them, but Yerim stares in the distance with a fondness in her eyes, " _Hyunjin_...she's like...the coolest person out there."

Heejin isn't used to her friend getting this transparent and awe-struck, she laughs and bumps her shoulder into Yerim's, the situation having taken an unexpected affectionate turn, " _No I mea_ n-what does she like ?" 

" _Oh_." Yerim finally looks into Heejin's eyes, previous veil of admiration into her own long faded, " _Um_ -sports I guess ?"

Heejin needs more information to get gift ideas, "Is she playing any sport in high school then ?"

At this, Yerim can't hold her stare and Heejin is close enough to notice the growing redness covering her cheeks, she tries to stay serious when Yerim looks back at her, "She plays- _soccer_."

Heejin has a feeling Yerim doesn't miss any of her games and spends them screaming ' **GO HYUNJIN !** ' the whole time. She has an idea of what Yerim could get for her but she won't put her nose into her business when she knows this little about Yerim's intentions or even Hyunjin's, so practical and cute gift will do.

They start walking again and Heejin is leading them towards the store where she knows they will find every sport equipment Hyunjin could dream of, "What about several little gifts for when she plays soccer ?"

Yerim gasps and glances at Heejin as if she just graduated Harvard and pulls her along to weave through the waves of equally rushed buyers, "You're a life savior !" Heejin hears among hundreds of voices.

***

Gifts in hands and plan in head, they retrace their steps to get to Heejin's high school before the sun sets and the last bus leaves. As they near the coffee shop that Heejin knows all too well, Yerim stops dead in her track, making the fabric of her shopping bag rustles as it hits her leg. She points a finger to the ringing glass door and lowers her voice to a whisper, "Look ! It's Jungeun closing the shop !" Before Heejin can calm her heartbeat down, Yerim is dragging her along, "Let's go say hi again !" 

Heejin doesn't have time to oppose since they're walking on the same sidewalk, "Hey Jungeun ! Nice to see you again !" Yerim screams at the girl as she turns to leave. Heejin wants to hate Yerim, she really wants to, but she would be lying if she said she isn't thrilled to see the cute barista again.

Jungeun rotates on herself and spots the grinning girl, she laughs lightly, "Hi Yerim, _again_."

And then her eyes land onto Heejin (the latter is almost hiding behind Yerim at this point) she shifts on her feet, caught off guard, "And _Heejin_ , hi."

Heejin is too busy staring at the floor like a panicked gay to notice Jungeun trying to ruffle her locks to look more presentable and not like she spent the whole afternoon sighing because of the heat and screaming random names incessantly over her counter.

In the corner of her eyes, Yerim catches the purple flyer that for sure doesn't need as much tape to remain on the glass door and goes on with her plan before she can forget, "I saw you're looking for someone to paint something nice on that wall ?" She says casually as she slides on herself to point at the white wall that stands out like a sore thumb in the warmly decorated coffee shop.

_Heejin doesn't like this._

Jungeun follows her arm then nods sharply, "Yeah, we do ! Do you know someone that'd be interested ?" She casts a glance towards Heejin but the latter is settled on burning holes into Yerim's cheek.

Yerim glances at Heejin with a smirk, "Well _Heejin_ here is studying art at school an-" Heejin elbows her in the back hence the break in her sentence but when Yerim has something in mind, there's no talking her out of it. " **She's very much into painting !** " Yerim blurts out in one breath when the pain shooting through her lower back gives her a break.

Jungeun eyes Heejin in a way she can't quite put a name on and beams, " _Oh really ?_ "

_NO !_

" _um-_ YES-" Heejin chokes out as Yerim steps onto her toe, unbeknownst to Jungeun.

Yerim suddenly realizes she's not gonna hear the end of it as soon as Jungeun is out of sight, so off she goes, "Guys I just remember I need to catch my bus ! I'll see you later Heejin ! _Bye ! Love you !_ " And before Jungeun can say bye or Heejin can shoot daggers at her, she's off trotting with her shopping bags swaying at her sides.

The two girls look back at each other, Jungeun is the first to speak, "So..." she starts with a gauche tone, "We were thinking about having a fresco painted there...Would you be into that ?"

Heejin is into that actually, would that mean she would be able to see Jungeun more if she agrees ? Is she willing to see Jungeun more ? Or able to ?

She has to give Jungeun an answer, she doesn't know if she will be able to hold her stare for much longer, "Yeah I would, I'm not sure if my skills will be that good though..." She warns right off the bat. The last thing she would want to happen is people overestimating her and all the more if it's her crush.

For some reason, Jungeun gets the impression that Heejin is the kind of girl that's always hard on herself, she doesn't want to add any more pressure than the girl is already putting on her own shoulders, she talks in a soothing tone, " _That_ , I will judge for myself, it only has to fit our vibe."

Heejin doesn't know why this sentence alleviates so much weight off her back, it even allows a smile to enlighten her face which makes Jungeun break off the eye contact if she doesn't want to stutter out her next words, " _Um_ -will you be able to come at the shop next week ?" 

She zips close her bomber jacket and hoists up the strap of her purse back onto her shoulder, "You could show me some of the piece you do at school while I'm on break-what about Tuesday ?"

Heejin wonders if the tip of her nose has turned rosy because of the chilly air or something else, she looks up into her eyes and her throat turns dry when she's staring at her by now, awaiting a response.

She clears her throat and looks away before looking back with so much air trapped in her throbbing chest than needs to push past her lips, "Y-yeah, I can make it on Tuesday." She pauses and ignores the pounding in her head, "When are you taking your break ?" Even in her wildest dreams, Heejin would have never imagined herself ever asking that to Jungeun.

" _Right !_ " Jungeun laughs to deal with the embarrassment eating at her insides and tries her hardest not to cringe at the sound she let out, "Generally it's around 5pm, can you make it then ?"

Heejin can barely contain herself, _they are scheduling a date !_ Technically....

She gives a vigorous nod, "Yeah I can."

Jungeun isn't as smooth as she thinks she is, " _Great !_ I mean-that's gre- _good_."

" _Uh-_ " She looks away and Heejin is not imagining that, is she ?

"I gotta-catch my bu- _train !_ Train HAHA" She's not even hiding her widened eyes and Heejin is totally lost.

"Okay _bye !_ " She croaks out and leaves Heejin behind to think and dream for many seconds, before she remembers she has a bus to catch too, _shit !_


	5. Customer of the year

Although Jiwoo wasn't much of a big help the day before, Hyejoo found what to do for her phone without much difficulty. Off she was to the store where she buys most her games. As, in the darkness of her room the day before, she recalled they offer a phone repair service. Following her way of thinking, they should fix her phone at a much cheaper price.

Stepping into the customer-free store, her eyes take in rows after rows of video games. It's indeed the only place where she would stand feeling small among everything else. Her heart races back to life at the sight of gigantic gut-wrenching posters. _Ahh she missed that place like nothing else._

To her great displeasure, she didn't come for this today. She will come out of this store penniless and without a single game in hand and her careless mistake is the one to be blamed. Looking like a reaper with her hood all the way over her head, she shuffles towards checkout where a woman with fried blond hair is bent all the way forward. Her body forms a right angle as she scrutinizes her computer screen with glitters in her eyes and a blissful expression. Hyejoo doesn't want to know what is on that computer. But also she really wants to know.

She rakes her nails down the counter with a grimace once within earshot, "Um-hello ?"

The woman jolts at the intrusion and perks her head up. For no more than a second, her back remains in the same position as before, strained in the same queer angle, " _Oh_ -Hi !"

When she stands as straight as a flag pole and plasters a smile onto her cordial face, Hyejoo wonders if her bones cracked and she missed it. Where has the other cashier gone ? She liked this one better.

Sometimes Hyejoo doesn't have room in her brain to think, every thought has to come out, "Were you looking at porn on there ?" One could call her prying, another shameless. Hyejoo would say she's a little bit of both.

The blond's eyes nearly bulge out of her skull, " _What-_ no !" She grabs both sides of the computer screen and it pops and cracks as she rotates its neck so Hyejoo can see from where she stands, "It's my tortoise ! _Marlene_! She's gonna have babies !!"

The tape on the screen turns out to be a top view recording of a huge and salad-covered turtle laying into a pebble-filled aquarium. "It's filming live ! I taped a tiny camera to my desk-lamp !"

The only thing Hyejoo can think is how is this tortoise breathing with this giant leaf on top of her head, so she asks, "Why is there this much lettuce ?"

"Oh !" The blond grins, "she needs to eat pleNTY !"

" _Calling her Marlene is already abuse..._ " Hyejoo mutters under her hood. Is there a secret between tortoise lovers ? "Why is Marlene so popular among tortoise ? The previous cashier also had one called Marlene." 

"What do you mean other cashier ?" The woman jests, "I'm the owner of that shop, there's no other cashier."

WHAT. JINSOL ??? 

"You're Jinsol... ?" Hyejoo asks dubiously, "What happened to your hair..." She urges and Jinsol can't tell if she's compassionate or not.

Her mood drops lower than the ground at the mention of her hair," _I know_ -if I could sue them I would." She defends with a stoic face before plumping down into her chair, "But taking care of Marlene asks for so much money !" She cries out , _"Andnowmoreareontheway_ " She laments into her hands. 

She keeps venting in a brittle voice as if Hyejoo looked like a therapist. HAHA !

"Chaewon keeps making fun of me saying it looks like hers but fried..."

Before Hyejoo can ask about this Chaewon girl, the storehouse's door behind Jinsol is kicked open and out stomps a smaller blond girl with healthy looking hair. It's solely what Hyejoo can see as a stack of video games is pilling up until her forehead.

A small and disembodied voice sounds out, "I can hear you talk shit about me- _eooonnng_ " She bumps open the gate separating checkout of the rest of the store with her butt and drags herself towards half empty shelves that are waiting to be refilled and revived.

Chaewon proves herself to be efficient at pulling Jinsol out of whatever state she was in, for, she springs on her feet, "Chaewo-"

"And don't ask me to I quote ' _remove that beanie off my head or I'll feed it to your dog_ ' if you can't ask customers to do the same". The blond snaps from her corner of the store as she lays out the games on the shelves, making it twice as loud as it should be. Jinsol turns to Hyejoo with sorry eyes, "Will you..."

Hyejoo shrugs her hood off, "Sure. Whatev-"

_" **Also let me tell you Bbomi is kicking y'o girl Marlene's ass whenever ! Say one word !"**_

Hyejoo feels grateful to be an only child for once.

Jinsol looks back towards Hyejoo with a tight-lipped smile however her face does a 180° twist when realization hits her, "HYEJOO ?!?"

"OH MY GOD IT'S YOU I THOUGHT YOU WERE DEAD !" Ok maybe Hyejoo was buying a lot here, and _often_. The cashier twists her neck so fast and sharp towards the display area that Hyejoo winces for her cervical, " **CHAEWON GET YOUR ASS OVER HERE IT'S OUR CUSTOMER OF THE YEAR !!!!** "

 _"FOR REAL ?!?"_ Rings out and then a dozens of boxes fall scattered to the ground as Chaewon darts towards checkout. She's not far from slipping onto her scarf when she spots hood girl and hood girl looks _good_. She expected their customer of the year to be less attractive and at least a bit paunchy.

Jinsol gapes at Chaewon like ' _what the fuck did you just drop on the ground a hundred's worth of merchandise_ ' and the culprit looks between the two with a blood-curling simper, " **HAHA** lucky we don't put the actual CD's in display boxes !!"

Jinsol rolls her eyes so hard Hyejoo has to look away if she wants to avoid a new source of nightmares. For the tenth time of the day, the blond wonders how in the heck they are blood related. Still no rational explanation comes out it (rational being nothing involving a UFO dropping her and then BOOM we get a Chaewon). 

Still, she will need more to make her forget about her latest thing. She spins on herself to show Hyejoo the wall behind her, "Will you give us a pic of you to hang over there ??" 

The next source of her nightmares, Hyejoo might have it right in front of her eyes. She scowls at the frame that exhibits _'SON HYEJOO- CUSTOMER OF THE YEAR'_ in capital letters on a A4 sheets. The younger has never been that weirded out in her life. If Chaewon wasn't this entertaining she would have ran out of there with no intention to get her phone fixed.

She stares at Jinsol dead in the eye, "No." Jinsol's hopeful smile fall.

" _Bummer_." Chaewon sneers, dismissing JInsol's feelings on purpose. They are sisters for a reason, they both rage as fast as the other. Jinsol huffs and grabs a handful of flyers off her desk to throw at her face, " **Go and** **tidy up the games instead of acting like every 18-year-old idiot !** " (Hyejoo is clever enough to feel neither targeted nor offended)

As expected of flyers, it scatters everywhere and hardly onto Chaewon's face. The latter snorts and flicks her hair with a condescending smile, " _Now you can tidy up your mess._ " She mocks in a voice that Hyejoo assumes is supposed to resemble Jinsol's. She apparently takes malicious delight in pushing her sister to the limit. When Jinsol is done gasping, she turns on her heels and leaves with a demonic snicker.

Jinsol stares open-mouthed at the monster she calls her sister, "She's _evil_..." She faces Hyejoo and observes as she's in the middle of removing a flyer from her forehead, "Sorry about that."

The black-haired girl shrugs, lacking emotion, as usual, "Its fine. And she's kinda cool."

Jinsol gawks at her, "WHAT."

She shakes her head, "No you're just gay."

Hyejoo, never once having a shift in her expression, side-eyes the flyer laying mournfully onto the counter. ' **Monday's Gaming Night** ', could be fun. But most importantly, Hyejoo sees there an opportunity to combine her favorite activity and _no parents_. _Yesterday they were still nagging at her to socialize !_ _What could they possibly have to say about this !_ She makes sure to remember the date and ask about it later, "What does that have to do with anything."

" _Everything_ !" Jinsol snatches the flyer off the counter and slams it down her desk as the first of a never-ending pile, "Anyway- _eoonng_ " The hinges creak again as she goes and crouches down to retrieve everything, "Why are you here ?"

Before Hyejoo can show her phone to her, the blond stares at her with grave eyes, long neck stretching oddly again, "Are you going to save us from our slump ? The bank won't give us any other overdraft."

Hyejoo's eyes widen, _she can't have been that much of a rise in their turnover ? And she hasn't bought in their store in weeks...._

"GOT Y'A !! " JInsol bursts out and breaks into a quirky and bestial laugh, doubling over. Of course, Chaewon has to stick her nose in, _no opportunity missed_ is her motto.

All the way past the shelves bigger than her, they hear her say in an aggravated tone ' _yes mister ? We have a donkey that hasn't made it into your horse truck yesterday'._

If it wasn't for Jinsol's noisiness, her voice would sound powerful and intimidating and Jinsol cannot leave out this advantage. In the middle of catching her breath and standing up with the flyers flat against her chest, she jeers, "TRY TO MAYBE TALK LOUDER NEXT TIME I CAN'T HEAR YOUR CHILD'S VOICE."

They are both way too much for Hyejoo to deal with, to put it simply, she feels like she's forced to attend a tennis match. Jinsol tidies up the flyers into such a shipshape pile that she might be able to stab a knife into Chaewon's hand if she gets anywhere near it and her biting grin does not once waver. Chaewon hollering, ' _Get hearing aids you BOOMER_.' is the last thing to affect her.

"I'm 23 by the way." Jinsol informs Hyejoo simply to show how pointless the previous attack was.

Before they decide to tear each other apart, Hyejoo figures she might want to keep Jinsol busy with something if she wants to avoid spending her Saturday in a police station. 

"Can you fix smashed phone screens ?" Although with little faith, she still asks as she puts her phone under Jinsol's nose. The latter beams with all her teeth, "Chaewon can."

WHAT ? THIS CHILD ? (Hyejoo seems to have forgotten they are the same age)

Hyejoo puts a hand onto her phone, ready to grab it and run away, " _Um-_ does she have any diploma o-"

"vgamestrasher.net" Jinsol cuts her off, "Check customers' reviews."

Hyejoo stares at her, uncovers her phone, stares down at it, then their eyes meet.

"Okay we can look on my computer." Jinsol slumps into her chair and opens a naver page in two clicks. "But quick because I don't want to miss my babies arriving." Hyejoo startles the tiniest bit and eyes Jinsol, "Marlene's, _no_ ?"

Jinsol doesn't even spare her a glance and scrolls through her store's website, "Do you want me to fix your phone or not."

"Ok nevermind." 

.

"Okay here." Jinsol says after a while, "Customers' reviews." 

Hyejoo is not gonna say anything about the fact that Jinsol is checking her own store's reviews....

She leans over the counter, squinting. A few good reviews catch her eye, _'The little blond is weird but does the job_ ', ' _didn't expect to have my phone back safe and sound but she got the job done, recommend_ ''

" _WHAT THE FUCK PEOPLE ARE ONLY COMMENTING ABOUT HER ?!?_ " Jinsol cuts Hyejoo's train of thoughts as she shrieks, "They suck anyway." Hyejoo blinks when the page evaporates and it's Marlene again.

"NO _YOU_ SUCK. " Chaewon shouts back with boasting confidence. Jinsol does that same smile as earlier, the one that makes Hyejoo uneasy and angles her head roughly towards where Chaewon is. She wants to be heard loud and clear, " DO YOU WANT ME TO LOCK YOU OUT ON MONDAY ?"

_Oh ? Is she planning to attend that thing ?_

Within the next two seconds, Chaewon is back to where she was standing before with a grin reaching her ears, " _What can I do for you my healthy- looking hair queen ?_ "

Hyejoo has to suppress a snort which Jinsol doesn't, "Don't overdo it." She grabs the smashed phone and slips it in a see-through case, "Just need you to have this fixed."

"oh-" Something flashes into her eyes as she takes it from her sister's hand before nodding professionally, "okay, come fetch it on Monday." A peace sign later, her petite figure gets eaten up by the storehouse's door.

This girl's cuteness makes it hard for Hyejoo not to trust her. Should she trust her....

"Um-" Hyejoo hesitates to ask as it appears to be the moment Marlene is going to give birth, "Can anyone join the gaming night on Monday ?" She asks in one go, hoping she won't cause yet another disproportionate reaction from the older.

"Of course !" The videoconference midwife gives Hyejoo some of her mother time, "And especially _you_ as our customer of the year !"

"Cool. " She shows nothing of how actually enthusiast she is and gets ready to leave the store, "See you on Monday then-" She pauses right as she is about to walk out, "And congrats I guess."

*** 

Jiwoo should've planned her shopping trip ahead. All it took for her to stand in this art supplies shop was a sudden crave for painting and an upsetting lack of supplies at her place. Then, one bus later, she's roaming every aisle, bringing more and more supplies along with her. Paintbrushes and paint are about to spill out of her cart ? Who is she to restrain herself ? A collection of different-sized canvas wrapped together are currently cutting her armpit but _she doesn't know pain._

The store better sell shopping bags at checkout or else Jiwoo will pass off as a whole clown.

Most-likely that if she had spotted a blue Hyundai pulling in the parking lot, she wouldn't have spent 5 minutes trying to decide if she liked ' _desert orange_ ' or ' _sunset orange_ ' better to finally buy ' _forest green_ ' instead. It explains why she doesn't feel the need to hide when someone walks into her aisle pushing a warehouse trolley. And actually, Jiwoo thinks the timing is right because she can't put her hands on any palette. Blood rushes to her head as she springs up from her crouching position hurriedly and turns to face the staff member, " Excuse me but I can't find th-"

Her throat closes up, her eyes widen and her mouth drops because the staff member looks a little too much like her teacher. They don't look like her. It _is_ Ha Sooyoung. Her canvas drop to the floor in a quiet thud, much quieter than the beating of her heart.

"Jiwoo, I didn't expect to run into you here." Sooyoung says as a greeting and looks down at the wrapped canvas. "You should get your canvas separately, it's much more affordable."

"Oh _well_ -" Jiwoo picks up the canvas in one swift squat. Sooyoung feels a snicker tickle her throat at how incommoded Jiwoo looks. She nods towards her trolley, "You could have gotten one of those too."

"well-I thought it'd force me to buy less.." She concludes her sentence by looking down at her cart. "Ah..." Sooyoung nods, she won't say anything about the obvious failure of her plan though she doesn't think less of it.

"Well-" Sooyoung starts, "I could get those back and bring you back a few canvas while you go and find what you were looking for ?" 

"Oh-" Saying Jiwoo is taken aback by her teacher's altruism is an understatement. " Yeah okay." She hands the canvas to the other, still at arm's length, before clearing her throat, "I was actually looking for the- _palettes_."

Sooyoung notices the paintbrushes in Jiwoo's cart as she puts the canvas on top of her own purchases, "They should be right by the paintbrushes, above head level." She recalls, still sounding sure of what she's claiming.

Jiwoo's eyes widen as she switches hand to hold her cart, "Ah..." Sooyoung has to be right.

The latter grabs her trolley with both hands and maneuvers it to get out of the aisle, "I'll be back with your canvas." Jiwoo barely nods that she's already turning in the main aisle.

Maybe Ha Sooyoung isn't that bad, Jiwoo thinks.

***

"Do you want a bag to carry all of these ?" The cashier asks as he scans the items, he took pity on the girl the moment she tried gathering everything into her arms that's for sure. 

"Yes please !" Jiwoo snatches it as soon as he gets it from under the cash register.

When she steps outside of the store, the handles of her bag are almost slitting her palm open and the canvas under her arms each threaten to get swept away by the wind at one point or another. 

In the middle of loading her car with her purchases, head into the car and body beaten by the wind, Sooyoung spots Jiwoo through her windshield, just out of the store. She has to stop every few seconds to fight against the wind or else her canvas would end up on the other side of the road. When a particularly strong gust shoves her against a car, Sooyoung slams her car's door shut and heads in her direction. Jiwoo lets out a relieved sigh when Sooyoung comes into view, she really needs a hand right now.

"Here I'll help you.' The taller grabs the canvas from under her arm then turns around to look the deserted parking lot over, "Where's your car ?"

Jiwoo only remembers now she took the bus to come here and feels her face heat up like a oven. _Think before acting Jiwoo !_ She didn't miss that voice.

It doesn't get better when the other glances back at her, expecting her to guide her to her car. Given the look on Jiwoo's face, something is up, Sooyoung smells something fishy. She tightens her arm around the canvas and shields herself between the two cars, "What's wrong ?"

"um-" Jiwoo looks away, "I don't have a car, I took the bus." 

Well maybe Sooyoung didn't expect this. Not every bus driver would let one person bring this much stuff with them at this hour of the day. People are getting off work, for the lucky ones. One of her parents has to be free and have transport.

"Can you call one of your parents ?"

For just a second, Jiwoo would trick herself into thinking she wishes her parents would be here. But the thought vanishes as quick as it came, "No- _um_ -they're not in Seoul."

Now the only thing left for Jiwoo is to crawl into a mouse hole and never come out. 

While Jiwoo is having an internal crisis, Sooyoung gives a few looks around and thinks of other possibilities they didn't think about. Sooyoung isn't expected at home, not by anyone at least, and there is still the passenger seat of her car.

Jiwoo shivering from the cold when she stares at her is what tips the scale in favor of driving her back, "I can't let you walk all the way back in that wind." She holds up the canvas, "And with all this."

Sooyoung hasn't addressed the question about how inappropriate sitting with her student with her car would be. Or maybe she has but what matters to her as a person is another human being not dying from the cold or getting lost somewhere. Sooyoung is being objective, she's helping out a student that clearly needs help. There's nothing sketchy about it.

Jiwoo is also her own person, if she declines the offer then Sooyoung won't ask again. She glances from her car to Jiwoo, she can't formulate her offer better, "Will you let me drive you home ?"

Jiwoo feels like an idiot for not thinking of this possibility. Would she have asked if she had thought of it ? Certainly not. Does she feel better being asked instead of asking ? Probably.

Of course it crosses Jiwoo's mind, how unfit the whole idea is. She can scold herself later for prioritizing comfort over her morals, " Won't it make you late or ?" 

Sooyoung cannot repress the chuckle that slips past her lips, "Late ? What could I be doing on a Saturday ?"

Jiwoo isn't here to mess around and Sooyoung isn't the kind of person she wants to joke around with anyway, she shrugs. 

"I don't mind, really, I wouldn't offer if I had somewhere to be." Sooyoung gets her key out of her coat pocket with her free hand, "What do you think ?" She asks as Jiwoo looks back at her. Jiwoo is dreading the minute someone from school will show up and see them both chatting in a random parking lot.

Then she thinks about how she'd have to walk for miles, how she'd risk to lose her canvas at every corner. She would have to wear band-aids for a whole week because this outcome will give her blisters without doubt. Letting Sooyoung drive her back can't be nearly as bad as this. _Well you will have to make up your mind about it yourself !_ Her little voice speaks for every limb of her aching body. She can't trust herself going back on foot, _and_ alone.

She nods and feels her entire body thanking her as soon as Sooyoung unlocks the doors with a smile. She follows behind Sooyoung at a reasonable distance and stands aside as she opens the backdoor. Jiwoo is taken aback at how clean the car is but then, how fitting it is for a teacher to be tidy ? Sooyoung lodges the canvas where it fits in the back and dumps the shopping bag onto the backseat once Jiwoo's has hopped in and closed the door. Is it Jiwoo's brain playing tricks on her or this car is overly perfumed ? _A whole_ _perfumery !_ You'd think that Ha Sooyoung spends her week end spraying her perfume everywhere. She fastens her seat belt and tries to focus on something else while Sooyoung circles the car at the front. She isn't scared of being with Ha Sooyoung alone in her car, she's _apprehensive._ Still, being in her car doesn't exactly give off a bad feeling.

" _Fucking wind_." Is the first thing Sooyoung says as she gets in and slams the door shut. Then she seems to remember she's not alone, "Sorry- _um_.'

Jiwoo is aware teachers curse too, they even have sex ! _Welcome in the real world ! How was it living in a cave ?_

"I tend to swear." Sooyoung doesn't explain further as she shrugs her coat off before folding it, "Will you throw this in the back ?" She passes it over to Jiwoo who throws it behind (Without staring at the new exposed skin of course) when Sooyoung has her seat belt buckled. The last thing she wants to risk is bumping into her or something.

Sooyoung turns the key into the ignition and the car roars to life. 

"Oh-here."

Having another person into her car makes her absent-minded in case you haven't noticed. Not being able to tell where that pressure is coming from for Sooyoung is like failing to find the last piece of a puzzle. The quicker she will have dropped off Jiwoo, the quicker she won't have to ponder over it. Once her phone is perched into the stand and Jiwoo's address is typed in the GPS app, they are good to go.

***

Five minutes in Seoul's usual traffic, Sooyoung starts to regret offering to drive back the girl. She catches a glimpse of Jiwoo's bag through the rear view mirror by chance when she looks out for any potential danger on the road. There's always that question that's bugging her but Sooyoung never found a fitting moment to ask, now that they're pretty much stuck in the traffic, she figures she might ask.

The car coming to a standstill with her hand still on the gearshift is the only thing that allows her eyes to leave the road. It feels bizarre to have a passenger for once, she almost forgot Jiwoo was here for a second. However the palpable tension makes Jiwoo's presence incontestable as she remains entranced by what's happening outside of the car.

Confident she won't be caught, Sooyoung steals a glance, she has no good reason to linger so her eyes shoots back on the road, "There's something I don't understand..."

The humming of the engine lulling her into an open eyed sleep, Jiwoo's eyes don't stray away from the sidewalk, "hm ?"

"Why doing all of this now ?"

Jiwoo isn't sure in what kind of conversation they are getting, her teacher tends to be elusive, "What do you mean ?"

Sooyoung watches the lane on their left move forward, "Studying art." Jiwoo's bag comes into view again, "You're good at it."

Jiwoo can't wait for the day compliments will stop making her cheeks burn, especially those coming from her teacher. She's afraid one day she won't be able to hide it by turning her head to the side. Today is no exception and an adorable white Spitz waiting for its owner to end a call on the other end of the leech distracts her the perfect amount.

In the rear view mirror, Sooyoung feels like she's watching something she's not supposed to. Surely Kim jiwoo has a soft spot for dogs like any other girl. The owner walks away and into a grooming salon with their dog.

Sooyoung speaks again when their eyes meet, "Why not start on your first year here ?"

Jiwoo averts her gaze, her throat feels dry every time they make eye contact and she doesn't like it one bit, "My parents didn't want me to, but I've always been painting as a hobby."

The traffic lights turn green and Sooyoung engages first gear to follow the lane at a snail's pace, "What changed ?"

Regardless of who she's talking to, Jiwoo's jaw always tenses up when talking about her parents,"They're not here to lecture me anymore." Sooyoung might be unable to see her scorching eyes, but she heard enough to understand Jiwoo's parents are probably similar to hers. And she would never dare holding it against her. She's suffered enough because of her parents before, the last thing she wants to do is spurring another human to go through this hassle.

Among negative thoughts, it appears to Jiwoo that she's talking to her teacher, she clears her throat, "Sorry. How ungrateful of me to talk about them like that." She hardly hides the sarcasm in her tone. Her anger is stronger than her embarrassment and Sooyoung is all too familiar with this.

She keeps her eyes on the road as traffic seems to awaken, "No I don't, I don't know your parents, nor do I know you." 

Jiwoo knows nothing about this side of Sooyoung, she wants to know more. She directly looks at the woman sitting on the other side of the gearshift, if anything, she was expecting a sermon, "My parents weren't supportive of me either, everyday I feel lucky I get to teach what I love."

"They're not-" Jiwoo hesitates, "- _dead_ , are they ?"

"Oh my god no !" Sooyoung chuckles, "No, they're not, _unfortunately_."

Jiwoo can't tell for sure if Sooyoung is joking, she isn't sure she wants to know the answer or if she'd relate either. Sooyoung stares at Jiwoo in an odd way, "Wha-OH NO NO THEY'RE NOT."

Sooyoung stifles a laugh, " _Okay._ " She feared another blunder on the way, since it's all she's been doing around Jiwoo lately.

After a moment, eyes father away on the road, with the sun sculpting her side-profile into a face worthy of the gods, she speaks, "What I mean is, no one can blame you for wanting to write your own story." Jiwoo had to divert her eyes mid-sentence. She wonders if it would be rude to lower her window herself.

The car stops at a traffic lights and Sooyoung shifts in her seat to face Jiwoo, one hand on the wheel, the other between them, " No one can blame you for being passion-driven."

This sentence alone knocks the air out of her lungs, Jiwoo has a lot of things bottled up inside on reconsideration. She didn't think she'd need to tell anyone this.

Sooyoung sits back and adjusts her seat belt around her neck. Whereas Jiwoo scrutinizes passersby coming to a halt on the sidewalk, checking their watches, do they have time for coffee ? Something stronger depending on how their day went ?

Sooyoung lives in the future, she follows those who cross the street with her eyes. Once she's had enough, she revives the conversation, fingertips clicking down the wheel, "They don't know you're studying art ? What about it ? What could they possibly do if they find out ?"

Jiwoo scans the dozens of worn out faces, could she spot her parents' among those ? She has hundreds of ideas, "No longer paying my apartment rent ? That's what scares me the most."

Passersby clear up the road then soon after the car moves forward, "Then they don't have to know." She takes a quick glance at Jiwoo's troubled face, "Have you told anyone ?"

She shakes her head, gazing out the window and back in her thoughts, "Just you." 

Sooyoung makes a left turn, Jiwoo's body sticking to the passenger's door, "Well I'm glad you did, and no one will know because I won't tell anyone." Their eyes meet again, Jiwoo is too focused on her bruised heart to notice she doesn't divert her eyes as fast this time.

Sooyoung doesn't let herself linger for long on Jiwoo's face anyway, traffic is now running smoothly so her eyes will stay on the road until Jiwoo is dropped off, "It'd be too bad to give up on painting and waste this much talent because your loved ones have a close-minded vision of you...but that's my opinion, and how much you give into this is up to you."

Waking up this morning, Jiwoo would have never imagined herself having a conversation like this with her teacher, nor imagine any of this happening. It's never too late to change your opinion about someone you misjudged, right ?

After a quick glance towards the GPS app, she smiles to herself, "Thanks, I do like that opinion."

Her smile falters when she realizes she wouldn't mind if they got stuck into traffic again. And Jiwoo has no idea what to think of this, surely, appreciating a teacher is a normal thing, is it ?

The universe could not have chosen a better moment to make Sooyoung pull up into Jiwoo's street. Along the curb, contact is cut off just in case, Sooyoung leans back into her seat, "Do you need help getting everything into the elevator or ?" 

Jiwoo presses the fleshy part of her thumb down the belt clip to unbuckle herself, " No-I'll be okay." She sputters before leaping out of the car as Sooyoung takes a hold of her phone to type in her address. She has no idea where she ended up.

The back door is yanked open and Jiwoo's brain shuts down. _The sweet perfume is all over her coat and all over her goddamn car !_

Sooyoung glances behind her seat and doesn't miss the other girl's struggling, "Will you ?"

Jiwoo mindfully avoids looking up and circles her canvas with her right arm in one go before grabbing her shopping back with the other. "Yeah I will." She succeeds squeezing out of the back seat without hitting her head anywhere. She pushes the door shut with her hip once out in the open.

Having forgotten the wind, her feet almost betray her when she's met with a mini hurricane. Nothing can stop her, however. She needs to go home now and most importantly get away from Ha Sooyoung.

Sooyoung eyes the determined girl with curious eyes through the window. When the latter turns back to mouth a ' _thank you_ ' and Sooyoung's jaw clenches at being caught, her wrist swings forward and the car sputters to life. She has long crossed street when Jiwoo shields herself under the condo's outdoor entrance.

***

Her legs wobble and her back hurts as she slams her apartment door shut with her body. Her canvas slide down on the floor, abandoned, right as she does, shopping bag on her lap.

She needs water, to drink, and to wake herself up. _Wake the fuck up, Kim Jiwoo._ She glares at her reflection, and splashes some more water onto her face, now, blusher has long been washed off and the flush on her cheeks cannot be explained.

Her head swims with the familiar perfume, _what is wrong with you ??_ Water overflows from her cupped hands, cooling them down, she dives her face in, the scent comes back.

It makes her body almost tip over. She stares at her hands as something replays in her mind. 

Oh

She scoops one palm under the soap dispenser and hammers her fist down the pump dispenser before rubbing her palms together, slowly. Soon enough, when the flowery scent invades her nose and releases the breath she's been holding since leaving Sooyoung's car, she scrubs harder. When she feels clean again and her palms tingle, she holds her hands under the faucet with a trembling sigh.

***

The first thing Sooyoung does as she sets foot into her apartment is running a bath. She thought useful to have all windows opened throughout the ride back home because according to her, her car smelt different. And Sooyoung can't have this, Sooyoung's car has always been smelling Sooyoung's perfume (that's mainly why she never let her fiance get into her car) and she won't let anything change it. This little whim of hers could have made her catch a cold.

After pouring herself a glass of whine and fetching the book Haseul landed her the day before, Sooyoung hops into the bubble-filled tub, her freezing body getting some color back within a minute. She truly has no reason to complain. Not even the icy edge of the tub could harm her spirit. She knows she won't be paying attention to it in a few minutes, when every mirror will be fogged up and the steam-covered marble floor will be impracticable. Her fiance Jungshin almost broke his tailbone last time he tried sneaking in while she was taking a bath.

Everything was going well, that is, until someone didn't find a better idea than to text her. _vrrr vrrr_

Her phone dangerously edging towards its end, Sooyoung saw her phone plunging deep under water and getting stuck under her asscheeks. She has no idea how she pulled that off but a lot of trashing around and a bruised elbow later, her phone is safe and dry, clasped into her dripping hands. She's not sure about her floor though, well something had to take the plunge instead of her phone....She would ruin her bathwater for nothing in the world, even the most expensive wine wouldn't get the privilege.

Sooyoung unlocks her phone while wiping a bead of sweat off her forehead. Whoever texted her better have a good reason or else.

 **Hagseul :** _Hey it's y'o mama_

 **Sooyoungie :** _..._

 **Sooyoungie :** _I bottomed once. Tell me how many times have you?_

 **Hagseul :** _Issa joke_

 **Hagseul :** _Anyway. What about the book? What do you think?_

 **Sooyoungie :** _About to start reading it. In my bathtub._

 **Hagseul :** _Oh? Can I see..._

 **Sooyoungie :** _Nah today is chastity day._

 **Hagseul :** _FR ?_

 **Sooyoungie :** _Go to sleep Haseul_

 **Hagseul :** _It's 6pm ??_

 **Sooyoungie :** _Bye_

Sooyoung did say they better have a good reason, not good enough reason for Sooyoung.

***

When the water has turned lukewarm and her fingers are all pruney, Sooyoung steps out of the tub and wraps herself in her towel. _Ahh bath towel warmers are a wonder of innovative technology._ She slips Haseul's book into her bedside cabinet before stepping out onto her balcony to dry out fast, and effective. Nothing more effective than the wind. It's currently freezing outside but for Sooyoung, it feels like a fan set on its lowest setting.

"Sooyoung ? Are you outside again ?" Jungshin calls out from the corridor, Sooyoung could call herself lucky her fiance doesn't work late, the only problem is, as cruel as it sounds, she doesn't care if she can have dinner with him, or sleep with him, or have him around in general.

Her parents didn't get the luxury to have the last word for her career, however, her love life, is very poor by their fault. Just thinking to the people she calls her parents, she wants to barf over the railing. She hears Jungshin shuffle into their shared bedroom (He does start work early in the morning), then stop at some point, "What happened in the bathroom ? The floor ??"

Oh. Then Sooyoung has her answer. Wine took the plunge.

"It's a long story, I'll take care of it." She fights back a shiver, she doesn't necessarily want to walk back into the bedroom in such an attire, not that Jungshin ever forced her to engage in that kind of intercourse. 

"You'll catch a cold." He tuts as he joins her outside, "You'll join me in the living room later ? We have something scheduled next week end at an old friend's house." Sooyoung only hums, first lights of neighboring apartments reflecting into her eyes.

He leaves a chaste kiss on top of her hair that Sooyoung has been expecting before disappearing back into their bedroom, then the corridor. Sooyoung can then only hear her own steady heartbeat.

She's learned to deal with it.

And the worst thing about it all is that, one wouldn't have any reason not to fall in love with him, except Sooyoung isn't straight. She has never been, and never will be. If only her parents understood her, if only they cared for something else than their own interests and person. It would make things so much easier and Sooyoung wouldn't have to hurt people on her way.

She has been battling against her parents for as long as she can remember. The fact that she still hasn't shut them out could be justified by how much power they have and how much she has to lose. However, for Sooyoung, her parents are dead to her since the day they guilt-shamed her first girlfriend into breaking up with her.

Or it was maybe a year back, when they removed her from a class she had been busting her ass for to get admission. They never gave her a satisfying enough reason. But Sooyoung knew why. 

How many knives they stabbed into their daughter's back, Sooyoung couldn't keep track of them anymore. What she knows is that her hatred for her parents runs deep and she feels a little more sorry every day knowing there is so many people in similar situations. She doesn't know if Jiwoo's relationship with her parents is anywhere near what she has and still has to endure herself. But hearing it from another mouth, it feels like she can't keep her eyes closed on the harsh reality of it all.

Life is unfair. There isn't a single day one can think of someone else than themselves in order to pull through that brainwashed society. In those moments of realization, Sooyoung wishes she could break down rules. But rules, she has been following them all her life.

***

Once the marble floor is clean and sparkly again, Sooyoung slips into her robe and saunters down the corridor to find Jungshin leaning against their polished kitchen island, staring down at his phone. She walks around it and pulls her stainless-steel refrigerator's door open, the artificial light comes out grey on her weary face, " Beer ?"

"Please." Junshin shuts his phone and slips it into his vest's inner pocket before extending his arm out to Sooyoung. She pours herself a glass of water and goes to lean against their dining table, adjacent to the open kitchen. They both drink in a peaceful silence, until Sooyoung sets her glass down the glass table and looks at her fiance, "Where are we going next week end ?"

The liquid fizzes as his lips separate from the beer bottle in a faint aspiration noise, "Wooseok is back from Melbourne with his wife and daughter." He spins and places the bottle down the island, "I told you about them didn't I ?"

Sooyoung does remember hearing about this friend's life story, how he moved abroad after marrying his wife and their daughter was only 10, and made it big. But that's about it.

She nods, arms crossed against her chest, she spent half an hour outside lost in her thoughts after all, "Should we get flowers for them then ?"

She doesn't see him smile, "I ordered a special ' _welcome back_ ' bouquet already. "

"That'd be great if you could buy something nice for their daughter, Yeojin." He says as she rinses off her glass at the sink. She yanks the towel off the hook at eye-level and dives her cloth-wrapped fist into the glass to wipe it, "She's 15 right ? What should I get her ? Makeup ?"

He takes a swig from his beer then goes to chuck it away in the bin behind Sooyoung, "No she's more of the video games type."

"-have you eaten ?" Sooyoung dashes away and towards the fridge just as he's about to fondle her hair. Although used to it, dodging every little romantic gesture when you live with your fiance proves itself to be arduous.

"No I was waiting for you, of course." She hears him say sweetly past the thick door and set two plates down the counter. She suppresses a sigh, sometimes, as sweet as he is, she wants to be left alone.

In the middle shelf, her eyes catches a dish she is sure neither she nor Jungshin has ever learned to cook, "Did mother come here today ?" 

Jungshin has long since stopped asking about the coldness in her tone when she addresses her mother, or just her parents in general. "She could have, I recall she got herself a key." He points while setting two wineglasses down across the plates.

She grabs the full container (it's still lukewarm) with white knuckles and gritted teeth, "Then we need to change the lock." And then the trash bag swishes as the food drops deep into the bin, among other garbage, where it belongs.

He pours red wine for them, the gurgling bloody liquid acting as a miracle for Sooyoung's nerves, "I'll cook something quick, yeah ?"

Sooyoung shuts the door with her ankle and walks up to him, "Just relax a little bit, yeah ?" This time, as she swirls the elixir into its glass and he rubs a soothing hand down her back, she doesn't feel the need to jolt nor curse him under her breath. 

Guilt sits bitter into her stomach.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi everyone ! As you may have noticed nearing the end of this chapter, I made out Sooyoung's fiance to be sweet for a reason. I think it's more interesting if he ends up being a character that doesn't deserve to be cheated on, I guess I want you guys to twist your brains too ! Sooyoung's fiance being one of the villain felt too easy for me...I'm just so excited to show you guys all that character's development !  
> On another note, other characters are slowly getting into the story ! I hope you will like them as much as I do ! I will definitely have to even out chaotic and funny moments with darker ones because trust me they are coming...  
> That's it for today, I hope you enjoyed this chapter !


End file.
